Combination utility shelf



July 28, 1959 E. M. LITZAW COMBINATION UTILITY SHELF Filed Feb. 8, 1956 INVENTOR. EDGAR M. LITZAW FIG.6

Patented July as, 1959 COMBINATION UTILITY SHELF Edgar M. Litzaw, Brea, Calif. Application February 8, 1956, Serial No. 564,208 2 Claims. (Cl. 45--28) The present invention is directed to a combination utility shelf. More particularly this invention concerns a utility shelf adapted to hold various articles in convenient position for household uses.

Heretofore, the vast majority of homes have had soap dishes or the like mounted on or recessed in wall structure. These dishes have had other article-holding appendages thereon. In the case of bath tub and/or shower enclosure installations soap dishes in the prior art have suffered from poor location, improper or no drainage of accumulated water and dificulty in removing soap from the dishes due to sticking therein. Further, little thought has been given to insure the retention of the soap bar in the dish coupled with ease of removal. Furthermore, no effort has been made to correctly combine a flat article-holding portion with a soapholding portion. Instead, use has been made of the edges of the tub, the floor and various ledges for holding shampoo bottles, cleansers, glasses, razors, brushes and the like, all with attendant inconvenience and opportunity for accidents and breakage.

The invention disclosed herein solves the above difficulties in these installations as well as those in other environments, such as service sinks by providing a utility shelf having a rear article-holding portion, a forward, rearwardly sloping soap-holding portion and means for draining any water accumulating on said portions forwardly of the soap-holding portion. The device is characterized by sloping surfaces which may be formed with ease and easily cleaned during use. There are no drain holes or the like whichare susceptible to plugging and the necessity of repeated cleaning.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel combined utility shelf.

A further object of this invention is to provide an article-holding shelf having means to drain all surfaces thereof.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a shelf soap-holding portion having a construction to retain, drain and facilitate the removal of the soap therefrom.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a utility shelf combined with a shower enclosure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a corner type utility shelf.

The above objects as well as other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a modified mounting means;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a recessed form of the device;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 6--6 f Fig. 2.

The utility shelf 10 of this invention basically comprises an article-holding preferably horizontal portion 11 of triangular shape rearwardly located with respect to the overall device, a second soap-holding portion 12 forward of the portion 11, and a utility cross bar rack 13 projecting forwardly of both such portions. The soapholding portion 12 is in a plane below that of portion 11 to insure drainage of any water impinging on the surfaces of the shelf. Various drainage means are provided to insure proper discharge of impinging water. These in elude horizontal transverse or angular grooves 13 within the portion 11, forwardly sloping grooves or gutters 14 bounding the sides of portion 11 and in communication with grooves 13, a rearwardly and centrally sloping surface in portion 12, hereinafter described with respect to Figures 4-6, and a centrally located, forward sloping, discharge trough or groove means 15. Peripheral edge portions 16 bounding the portion 11 and grooves 14 are adapted for mounting against a wall structure (not shown) by means of suction cups 17 or other mounting means such as screws, clamps or adhesives. Cups 17 are slidingly mounted in a horizontal slot or slots 18 to facilitate mounting the suction cups to avoid tile cracks and any other surface imperfections. Cups 17 are constructed with oversize head portions 19 which have sufficient resiliency to be forced into the slot 18. An adhesive may be used to insure permanent retention of the suction cups in place.

Figure 2 shows a modified mounting means comprising an upstanding flange 21 of a height approximating a course of conventional tile and a width equal to a predetermined number of tiles. This flange 21 may be scored to give the appearance of tile and is mounted in a wall structure as would be the tile.v A conventional tile cement is placed on the rear surfaces of flange 21 and the entire shelf is then aflixed to the wall. Figure 2 shows in more detail the function of a separating wall 22 which is provided to traverse partially between the portions 11 and 12. The top surface 23 of the wall 22 is above the horizontal surface of portion 11 and the rear side of wall 22 and thus serves to retain any article placed on portion 11. In addition, the forward surface 24 of wall or partition 22 serves as a back stop for a soap bar placed in portion 12. The sloping grooves 14 pass by the ends of the wall 22. Water impinging on all surfaces of the shelf drains to a low point 25 at the rear of the soap-holding portion 12. The discharge trough 15 is inclined foiwardly from the low point 25 and is bounded by soap bar-holding ridges 26 likewise inclined rearwardly and in a plane above the sloping surface of the portion 12 to allow the soap bar to drain properly without touching the surface of the tray portion 12. Trough 15 serves the additional function of facilitating removal of the soap bar since it is constructed in a size and shape enabling a human finger or thumb to grasp the under side of the soap bar by inserting the digit through the groove.

Fig. 3 is a form of the device adapted for recessed installation. In this form an article-holding section 32 of rectangular shape is provided which is bounded by forwardly sloping grooves 33 at the side edges thereof and a casing 30 around the back and side edges. A flange 31 on the casing 30 serves to abut against the edge portions of a recessed wall aperture (not shown) in which the overall device is to be mounted. The top edge 34 of the casing 36 is curved at its front edge and provided with a depending lip 35, the bottom edge of which slopes to each side of the casing 34} and continues down the inside edges of the casing as at 36. A forward slope is also provided on the bottom surface 37 of the casing top 34 so that any moisture condensed inside the casing will be conducted to the drainage grooves 33 by the lips 35 and 36 rather than merely dripping onto the article holding portion 32 or the soap-holding portion 12. The above described top interior drainage allows rapid drying after use.

Fig. 4 shows the horizontal article-holding portion 11, the drainage grooves 13 and the forward slope of the grooves 14. Water impinging on the surface 11 flows through grooves 13 and flows forward down the incline of grooves 14.

Fig. 5 shows the transverse central slope of the surface of soap-holding portion 12 leading to the low point 25 as well as the transition zone 20 between such surface portions and the grooves 14. The slope of zone 24? is relatively steep and functions additionally to retain the soap bar laterally of soap-holding portion 12 by extending above ridges 26. Water flows across the surface of portion 12 toward the middle and rear and is then redirected out the discharge trough.

Fig. 6 shows the rearwardly inclined slope of the surface of soap-holding portion 12 and the forward slope of trough 15, as well as the slightly rearward slope of the portions 26 bounding the trough 15 and extending above the main surface of the portion 12.

While each of the above disclosed modifications shows a rack portion 13 extending from the shelf proper it is to be understood that such rack may be omitted without destroying the remaining functions of the variously sloping article-holding portions. Further, rack portions 13 may be made integral with the shelf or may be detachable in order to facilitate replacement in the'event of breakage.

The utility shelves of this invention may be constructed of various plastic materials such as molded polyethylene, polystrene, or rubber. For more permanent installations, as those disclosed in Figures 2 and 3, a conventional ceramic or cast iron construction with a porcelain coating may be used.

The present shelf may be used in bathroom, shower room, kitchen, utility room environments and the articleholding portions and rack used to hold a myriad of 4 household or other items. The shelf is of a shape that is particularly adapted for corner or recessed mounting and does not thus interfere with working areas.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is'to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bathroom utility shelf comprising a relatively flat, discrete rear bottle-holding portion, forwardly sloping and extending gutters at the sides of said portion, a soapholding shelf portion extending in front of and inclined downwardly toward said rear portion, said shelf portion sloping downwardly from the forward end of said gutters to a low central rear area of said shelf portion, and a downwardly and forwardly inclined trough extending from said low central rear area of said shelf portion to in front of and below said shelf portion to drain away water impinging on both said portions.

2. The invention as set out in claim 1 further comprising a partition member partially extending between Hallenscheid Aug. 12, 1941 D. 165,532 Lind Dec. 25, 1951 1,536,906 Miller May 5, 1925 1,694,235 Schoenfelder Dec. 4, 1928 1,876,828 Ashfield Sept. 13, 1932 2,324,575 Groedel July 20, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Kohler of Kohler Catalog K-39, pp. 16 and 19. Standard: Plumbing Fixtures, Prison; F. 432. 

